“……!”

Si Bi quickly corrected her posture and knelt down.

“If there was a mistake, I apologize. I will gladly accept punishment for being disrespectful to the young lady-.”

“No! That’s not it!”

In an instant, Na Rin, who had become a bullying human who activated “Oh! Do you know who I am?”, waved her hands frantically.

“I’m just a commoner and a novice!”

“Pardon?”

“I’m just an odd-job worker!”

Si Bi couldn’t understand what Na Rin was saying.

“So what you’re saying is, you’re not a young lady?”

“That’s right. That’s exactly it.”

Si Bi’s eyes blinked as she failed to understand Na Rin’s words.

“But the Guardian Spirit personally asked the Divine Woman to make pretty clothes for you.”

“That’s because I don’t have clothes to wear when going to Myeonggung.”

“Myeonggung… you say?”

“Yes. I have something to say to the Sect Leader.”

“You, young lady?”

“I told you I’m not a young lady.”

Si Bi’s head was confused.

In her common sense, there couldn’t exist a commoner child who would enter Myeonggung to speak directly to the Sect Leader with the help of the Guardian Spirit and the Sun and Moon Divine Woman.

‘I might get in trouble later if I treat her casually.’

Si Bi’s survival instinct, honed from working under the Sun and Moon Divine Woman, signaled that it would be advisable to use honorifics with Na Rin.

Si Bi said with a serious face:

“Please just let me call you young lady.”

“Huh? But…”

“That would be better.”

Na Rin was bewildered, but Si Bi’s attitude was so stern that she had no choice but to nod and say, “If you say so…”

Still, it seemed that speaking up wasn’t entirely fruitless. When Na Rin requested to bathe alone without attendants, fortunately, Si Bi agreed without further ado.

Na Rin only untied her high-tied hair and soaked it in warm water after making sure Si Bi had definitely left.

Black water seeped out from the wet black hair as if smoke was rising from it.

‘This is the only place where I can use the bathroom alone.’

Na Rin was planning to dye her hair again today.

Na Rin’s naturally white hair, of course, was white from the roots, so it needed to be dyed diligently.

‘If I were planning to reveal my identity right away, I wouldn’t need to do this, but…’

Na Rin knew too little for that.

She was worried about not being recognized as the Sect Leader’s daughter without evidence, but she was also anxious because she couldn’t predict at all how to live after being recognized.

Perhaps some people might even feel threatened by the sudden appearance of a daughter.

‘People can poison others even for insignificant grudges.’

The incident where Bi Cha was poisoned had caused small ripples within Na Rin as well.

Who could have thought?

That a merchant would hold a grudge against a regular customer, almost killing an unborn baby.

Human malice can spring up from anywhere.

Therefore.

Splash!

Na Rin poured a bucket of warm water over her head.

“Until I’m perfectly prepared, it’s sealed!”

Na Rin washed her hair with soap, lathering it up, and dried the moisture with Three Realms True Fire.

Then she took out the dye ink she had brought, carefully applied it to the roots of her hair, and combed it down with a fine-toothed comb to spread it thinly over the whole.

-Young lady, if you stay too long, the water will get cold.

“Yes, I’m coming out now!”

At Si Bi’s call, Na Rin divided her now black-dyed hair into two braids, rolled them up into round buns like a pair of dumplings, and left the bathroom.

Several hours later.

The palace where Dokgo Cheon, the Heavenly Demon, resided, Myeonggung.

Na Rin was standing in front of it.

“Isn’t this outfit too fancy?”

“Not at all. It’s a very modest white.”

Well. The color may be white, but I can’t agree that it’s modest.

The white silk that clung tightly to Na Rin’s upper body was densely embroidered with lotus patterns in high-quality silver thread with a subtle sheen.

And the lower part, which flared out roundly like a lotus, was puffed up into a circle with several layers, as if not caring about wasting fabric.

‘This is why people don’t believe me when I say I’m a commoner.’

Na Rin’s appearance in the clothes made from silk chosen by Gong Son Wu and the Sun and Moon Divine Woman, saying this is pretty, that is pretty, exuded an indescribable noble aura.

Am I a princess? Huh? A princess?

“Don’t you like it?”

“What does it matter if I like it or not?”

It’s the preference of the person spending the money.

Gong Son Wu said with a slightly disappointed face.

“Next time, I’ll make clothes that you want to wear. This time, as you know, you have to attend an important event, so clothes that are too modest wouldn’t do.”

But clothes that are too fancy are also a problem, aren’t they?

‘It’s not like I’m going for some celebration.’

The reason Na Rin was entering Myeonggung wasn’t to attend some festival or brighten up an occasion.

It was purely to discuss the truth about the incident involving the top disciple of the Blue Star Sect.

By the way.

‘It really is black.’

The true identity of Myeonggung was the largest, oldest, and blackest building at the center of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.

‘Despite using the character for “bright” (明) in its name.’

Na Rin thought it was really strange that despite everything from the roof to the pillars, even the floor being pitch black, its name was still Myeonggung.

Although she couldn’t say it out loud.

“It really is black. Yet its name is Myeonggung.”

The one who said that out loud was Gong Son Wu.

Just as Na Rin was about to respond,

“The deeper the darkness, the more dazzling the light.”

Looking in the direction of the voice, a woman wearing a red dress so elaborately decorated that there was no part without embroidery was leading a procession with confident steps.

“We meet again, Dhritarashtra.”

It was Yang Ga Ho, the Blood Demon.

“Little one.”

“Hello.”

As Na Rin bowed her head slightly, the Blood Demon twisted her red-painted lips into a seductive smile.

“It seems you weren’t brought as a personal item today.”

“Of course. Today, she’s an honored guest.”

The Blood Demon slowly bent down to shift her gaze to Na Rin.

“I have high expectations for you. Make sure to perform well. Otherwise… it won’t be very pleasant.”

“Yes.”

Na Rin answered obediently without adding any extra words.

She was too experienced to feel burdened by such remarks.

The Blood Demon glanced at Na Rin, then curved her red-painted lips into an ominous smile before turning and entering Myeonggung.

‘Somehow, I have a bad feeling about this.’

Could it be because of what happened at the Blood King Hall last time?

Honestly, it was Gong Son Wu who caused trouble then, not me.

“What are you thinking so deeply about?”

“I’m thinking that I don’t want to incur the wrath of Lady Blood Demon.”

“Haha! Are you scared of Yang Ga Ho?”

To Gong Son Wu’s question, Na Rin thought for a moment and said what was appropriate for her situation.

“Of course. I’m just a small, weak child. Oh, I’m so scared!”

“Lick your lips before you tell such lies.”

That’s too much.

“It’s not a complete lie though.”

“Right, right. It’s not that you’re scared, you just find her annoying.”

Really too much.

Gong Son Wu grinned triumphantly as if he knew Na Rin’s mind completely.

“We’ve prepared sufficiently, so there’s nothing to fear.”

As he said this, Gong Son Wu gestured with his eyes towards the back.

Several attendants who had come from Dongcheon Palace to help with this matter were following the two, carrying a few props.

“Yes.”

When they finally entered Myeonggung, Na Rin realized why Myeonggung was called Myeonggung (明宮, Bright Palace).

Despite the black floor, black walls, and black ceiling, the interior wasn’t dark at all.

‘They’ve embedded those expensive night-luminous pearls in every pillar!’

She knew the Demon Cult people were rich, but she didn’t know they were this filthy rich.

With night-luminous pearls embedded everywhere like this, there was no need for anyone to light lamps inside Myeonggung.

“Na Rin, come here.”

Gong Son Wu led Na Rin, who was distracted by looking around the interior of Myeonggung, to the door with a large character for ‘East’ (東) written on it.

It was the entrance to the main hall of Myeonggung, leading to the throne room.

The doorkeeper checked Gong Son Wu, Na Rin, and the attendants following behind, then opened the door and announced:

“The Eastern Guardian, Dhritarashtra, arrives!”

Along with the prolonged voice, the sound of bells and trumpets echoed throughout the hall.

Na Rin’s eyes widened as she entered the throne room with the grand entrance ceremony.

‘What? Why are there so many people?’

Dozens of men and women of all ages in official attire were seated in rows to the left and right of the Heavenly Demon’s throne on the platform, looking at the empty central seat, as if watching an imperial court session.

‘So that’s why they put so much effort into today’s outfit.’

Thinking differently, even Gong Son Wu, the epitome of laxness, had properly fastened his front collar today so that his chest wasn’t visible.

And after some time had passed.

“Bow before the Heavenly Demon!”

A strange signal, whether a song or a chant, rang out.

Then, as if they had rehearsed it, the Blood Demon’s side and Gong Son Wu simultaneously knelt down and shouted in resounding voices:

“The Heavenly Demon reigns! All demons prostrate!”

What? What’s this?

Na Rin fumbled before managing to kneel down just in time.

“The Heavenly Demon reigns! All demons prostrate!”

Um… the pronunciation seems slightly off.

Rustle.

The sound of clothes brushing the floor was as secretive as a snake, and the snow-white hair covering the back shone like silver.

Demon Cult Leader Dokgo Cheon.

Na Rin’s lowered gaze turned to the Heavenly Demon’s throne on the platform.

Despite wearing a black robe without luster and not wearing the crown that adorns a ruler, the Sect Leader’s dignity was not lacking in the slightest.

‘Is that person… my father?’

A small ripple arose in Na Rin’s heart.

‘I didn’t expect this.’

Na Rin had lived as an orphan for over a hundred years.

No matter how many times one rewinds the same time, it’s impossible for a person’s heart not to become dulled after living through such a long period.

But what is this unfamiliar emotion?

Expectation? Elation? An indescribable, bitter emotion surged like a flood.

‘Am I getting this shaken up just from seeing his face now?’

Na Rin’s confused eyes turned straight ahead.

Because she was curious.

Dokgo Cheon. My father.

‘Are you feeling something like this too?’

Na Rin inadvertently looked into his eyes to read Dokgo Cheon’s emotions.

Those mysterious eyes with a purple energy flowing from cultivating demonic arts.

“……!”

But the moment their eyes met, Na Rin was startled and averted her gaze.

‘Is he… human?’

It wasn’t unreasonable for Na Rin to think this.

Because Dokgo Cheon’s eyes were not windows reflecting a person’s heart.

The emotionless purple eyes were as empty as an inorganic substance.

“Raise your heads.”

With one quiet command, the frozen time began to flow again.

“Dhritarashtra.”

“Yes, Sect Leader.”

Gong Son Wu stood up from his seat, clasped his hands, and bowed.

The sight of Gong Son Wu showing such proper etiquette, with his usual lax demeanor nowhere to be seen, looked unfamiliar.

“Begin.”

“As you command.”